Ice Princess
by Celestial Angel1
Summary: Why is Ruki so cold? Why does Lee like Ruki? How can Takato make this right? Ruki/Lee with a lot of confusion! I'm serious, this is a cute fic, so go ahead and read it, and don't forget to review it! My first Tamer Fic ever!!


**This is a Tamer fic. . .yea, I know, I have never done a Tamer fic before. . .but what the heck, this is fanfiction!! I can do anything I want!! Mwa-hahahaha!!!! ::lightning strikes in background:: Ummmm, here's the deal. This is Ruki/Lee. I like Takato, but I like Lee more because he has very neat eyes. . .I KNOW he's a character, but the animators do so well on his eyes!! Hehehe. . .okay, on with the fic.**  
  
CHARACTER AGES:   
Rika-17  
Lee-17  
Takato-17  
  
Ice Princess  
  
It wasn't supposed to happen. None of this was supposed to happen. Ruki Makino was not the one he was supposed to fall for. He couldn't fall in love with her. She was nothing like him, she was ice cold. Even after seven years, she was still frozen to everyone around her. And now he was head over heels for her. How could this have happened??  
  
  
Seventeen year old Lee Zenrya smacked his head repeatedly as these thoughts raced through his teenage mind. He was nutty for Ruki, and she was nutty for. . . nobody. The tall dark haired boy slumped in his desk chair, spinning around his room absently, his big slate gray eyes revealing his disappointment about Ruki.   
  
  
"What am I going to do? I just can't ignore this. . .it's a feeling!" Lee said to himself quietly. Someone knocked on Lee's bedroom door, and upon opening it, Lee came face to face with Takato Matsuda, his long time friend.   
  
  
"Hey!" Takato said simply, smiling a brilliant yet cheesy smile at his friend. Lee smiled weakly and let the brunette inside. He pulled out his backpack and rooted through it in search of his chemistry textbook. He'd forgotten that Takato was coming over to study for their midterm.   
  
  
"What's goin' on, Lee? You seem really quiet." Takato said suddenly, his cinnamon eyes showing concern for his best friend.  
  
  
"I'm just a little. . .preoccupied. That's all. It's nothing." Lee lied, producing the textbook from his pack and sitting on the floor beside Takato, resting his back against his bed.  
  
  
"Preoccupied with what?" Takato asked curiously. Lee sighed and looked at Takato seriously.  
  
  
"Promise you won't freak out?" Lee asked. Takato looked at Lee, studying his eyes carefully. He had learned all those years ago that Lee carried his emotions on his sleeve, or rather his eyes.   
  
  
"Um, yea." Takato replied, trying to decipher Lee's weird behavior.   
  
  
"I kinda like someone. . . " Lee started, stumbling slightly. Takato jumped back and put his hands up.   
  
  
"I'm sorry, Lee, I'm not into that. . . ." Takato said, pure confusion on his face. Lee looked at Takato for a few seconds before bursting into fits of laughter.   
  
  
"Not you, Takato! Ruki. . ." Lee said, becoming serious. Takato's mouth dropped open as he realized what Lee had said.   
  
  
"You have to be kidding. You like Ruki? The Ice Princess?? How??" Takato asked, standing up and pacing around the small room.  
  
  
"It's stupid, really. She was helping me with my calculus, and I got to thinking that maybe she wasn't all cold and frozen. That maybe she had a heart, but was afraid to let anyone near it. I got to thinking about her during the next couple days; how her hair is really pretty in the sun, her eyes, everything. That's when I realized I liked her. I've been thinking about her for the past two weeks now. But I'm scared. If I say anything, she'll totally shoot me down. I mean, it's Ruki. How would I know if she wants to be loved or not?" Lee said quickly. Takato nodded, his fingers stroking his chin as he thought silently.   
  
  
"Well, there's only one thing you could do. You could have me ask her what she thinks of you! That way she'll tell me, and I can tell you, and you can decide what to do from there! It's perfect!!" Takato replied, a wide smile spreading across his handsome face. Lee pondered for a moment, then nodded.   
  
  
"What do I have to lose?" Lee said as he motioned Takato over to start studying.   
  
  
Ruki walked alone across the high school football field, her blue backpack slung over her shoulder. She jumped when someone tapped her from behind. Ruki turned to see Takato casually glancing to his left, avoiding her glare.   
  
  
"What?" Ruki asked snidely. She had always kept herself in this state of chilliness, pushing everyone away, even Lee, the one she cared most about. Takato looked into Ruki's light violet-blue eyes and smiled an award winning grin.   
  
  
"Hi Ruki! Beautiful day, huh?" Takato asked, trying to be calm despite Ruki's menacing glare. Ruki looked up at the blue sky, at the puffy white clouds dotting it neatly. It was a nice day, but she wasn't about to agree with Takato.  
  
  
"It's too cloudy." Ruki replied snottily before turning on her heels and continuing her walk toward the park. Takato chased after her and began walking beside her. Annoyed, Ruki stopped suddenly. Takato stopped and tried to smile at Ruki, who was still glaring at him.  
  
  
"What do you want, Takato?" Ruki asked angrily. He was so annoying! How could his parents NOT put him up for adoption?  
  
  
"Ummmm. . . whatdoyouthinkofLee?" Takato slurred quickly. Ruki cocked an eyebrow and looked at Takato as if he were a moron.  
  
  
"Say again?" Ruki asked. Takato took a breath and began more slowly.  
  
  
"What do you think of. . .Lee?" Takato asked again, feeling very unsure of himself, and fearing that Lee was about to get his heart broken by the coldest girl in school.   
  
  
"He's. . .I. . .leave me alone Takato, stop annoying me!" Ruki replied as she turned away from Takato again and left him standing beside a bench.  
  
  
"Lee's going to be sooo confused." Takato said to himself.  
  
  
"I'm sooo confused!" Lee cried later that afternoon. Takato tried not to smile and patted Lee on the shoulder.   
  
  
"Go to her house. Tell her how you feel. What's the worst that could happen? So what if she doesn't like you back? There are tons of girls at school that would date you!!" Takato said, trying to comfort his friend. Lee sighed and dialed Ruki's phone.   
  
  
"Hi Ruki, it's Lee. Um, could you help me with Calculus again? I'm totally lost on it right now, among other things. You can? Great, see you this evening then." Lee said as he put the receiver down.  
  
  
"There you go, Lee. Just go over there and tell her tonight." Takato said.   
  
  
"I don't know. . .maybe it's better to not say anything. I'm sure this is just a little crush, and it'll go away, right?" Lee asked. Takato shrugged his shoulders and smiled.  
  
  
"How would I know? I haven't dated as many girls as you have. You know a lot more than I do!" Takato replied. Lee sighed and let Takato out, closing the door behind him.  
  
  
"Should I tell her, or should I keep my big mouth shut?" Lee thought aloud as he returned to his room and flopped onto his bed.   
  
  
Ruki finished the dishes for her mother and grandmother and dried her hands with a clean towel. Her strange conversation with Takato that afternoon had stuck with her throughout dinner, and was still nagging her.  
  
  
'Why would he ask me what I thought about Lee. . .maybe Lee likes me. Maybe Takato likes me and thinks I like Lee. I don't know. I wasn't quite prepared for questions regarding romance. No one thinks I am capable of liking someone else. Not me, not the coldest girl in school. If only I could explain why I'm so distant, so cold. . .' Ruki thought to herself. Ms. Makino poked her head into the kitchen and smiled at her daughter.   
  
  
"Lee's here, Ruki." Ruki's mother announced as Lee stepped out from behind the woman and forced a smile.  
  
  
"Hi Ruki. . .thank you for helping me with my calculus again. . ." Lee said shakily. trying his hardest not to stutter. Ruki nodded and led Lee back into her bedroom, where they sat down on the floor and began working. After about half an hour, Ruki's curiosity got the better of her.   
  
  
"You know, Takato was acting very strange today." Ruki started. Lee felt his heart leap into his chest as he looked up at the redhead.  
  
  
"Oh?" Lee replied, acting nonchalant.  
  
  
"Yea. He asked me what I thought about you." Ruki added, looking back into her book for an answer. Lee felt himself tense slightly. He kicked himself for letting Takato do this.  
  
  
"I see. . . " Lee answered, trying to sound uninterested. Ruki stole a glance at Lee before continuing.  
  
  
"So I have a theory about why he was being so strange." Ruki said, keeping herself as calm as possible. She'd been thinking that Lee, someone she cared a lot for, might like her. If he did, she would surely let down her wall of frost and let him see the real Ruki Makino.   
  
  
"And what is that?" Lee asked, his heart pounding. If Ruki guessed correctly, he had decided to come out with the truth, no matter how she felt.   
  
  
"I think Takato likes me." Ruki said, trying to bait Lee into saying he was the one who liked her. She watched Lee for a sign, but found him composed as ever.   
  
  
"Yea. . .he does. . ." Lee said, disappointed. She liked Takato, he knew it. How could he not see that? Ruki's hopes fell hard as Lee admitted Takato's crush on her. She was hoping that Lee was the one, not Takato, but now she was facing loneliness once again. No wonder she had kept herself isolated for so long. Feeling like she did now, so used and depressed, was horrible.   
  
  
"Oh. . ." Ruki said quietly, her emotion spilling out of her voice. Lee took that as a sign of her being happy about Takato liking her, so he dropped the subject and continued to study.  
  
  
"How do you do number thirteen?" Lee asked, trying to sound indifferent to the situation. Ruki showed Lee the method of solving the equation, her mind half engulfed by disappointment.   
  
  
The next day at school, Takato walked through the halls with Lee when Ruki stopped him and pulled him aside. Unable to watch her tell Takato her feelings, Lee kept walking until he reached his next class.   
  
  
"Takato. . .I have to tell you something. . ." Ruki said, stumbling over her words. Takato looked at her oddly. She was always so cool, never rattled like she was then.   
  
  
"Yea, what's up, Ruki?" Takato asked. He thought about Lee, how he had gone over to her house the night before. Maybe this had something to do with last night. Maybe. . .perhaps. . .could it be possible that Ruki liked him?!?   
  
  
"You see, well, I found something out last night. . ." Ruki started. Takato leaned in to listen as Ruki became quieter and quieter.   
  
  
"Is something wrong?" Takato asked. He was tempted to put his arm around Ruki's shoulder. He'd noticed that she wasn't so mean today, almost like she had changed overnight.   
  
  
"Yea, you could say that. . .Takato I. . . .what I mean to say is. . . " Ruki mumbled. Takato put his hand on Ruki's shoulder lightly. Ruki looked at him with confusion, but didn't pull away, startling Takato.   
  
  
'Oh GOD! She likes ME!! What have I done?!?' Takato thought as he watched Ruki take in a breath.  
  
  
"I don't like you the way you like me. . . I like Lee. There I said it." Ruki puffed, feeling weight drop from her shoulders. Takato looked at Ruki, blinked twice, then smiled. He opened his mouth to say something, but the bell rang, and Ruki sprinted across the hall to the class Lee was sitting in. Takato smiled broadly as he walked to his class happily.   
  
  
Lee and Ruki sat next to each other in class, averting each others' eyes. Lee shifted in his chair, thinking about how Takato must have taken the news. They were probably together now, even though Takato knew he liked Ruki. He was so stupid for not letting this feeling pass away!  
  
  
'I can't believe that happened. I totally went off-base on this one. Way to go, Lee, you are now the most pathetic person alive!' Lee thought as he took notes half heartedly.  
  
  
'Well, now I'm alone again. And I thought I was going to finally find that one person who could make me happy. I guess I'm going to be cold forever. Just call me Ruki: The Arctic Chill of Japan.' Ruki thought sadly.   
  
  
Takato slipped through the hall quietly to keep from disturbing the classes. He stopped at Ruki's locker and slipped a note in it, then did the same with Lee's.  
  
  
"I'll figure this out yet!" Takato said triumphantly as he walked contentedly down the halls.  
  
  
"What in the world is this?" Ruki thought aloud as a small paper fell from her locker later that day. She picked up the white sheet and read it carefully.  
  
  
'Meet me in the park by the duck pond after school. Takato' Ruki read. She sighed heavily, then packed her backpack and walked out of the school toward the park.  
  
  
"I'm going to have to be mean. Apparently he didn't understand me the first time." Ruki said as she trudged toward the park.  
  
  
Lee stood alone by the duck pond, his note in his hand. He'd been waiting for ten minutes already, and Takato hadn't shown up. He glanced to his right in time to see Ruki walk over to him, a note in hand.   
  
  
"What are you doing here?" both teens asked in unison. They both blushed, turning away from each other. Takato walked over to the other two kids and smiled.  
  
  
"Why did you want me to come here?" Ruki asked.   
  
  
"You? He asked me to come too!" Lee replied. Takato sat down on the bench.  
  
  
"I think there has been a huge mix up. Ruki, Lee likes you. Lee, Ruki likes you. When I asked you about what you thought, Ruki, I was trying to find out for Lee! See, I think Ruki thought I liked her, and then Lee thought Ruki liked me. So now everything's right now, right?" Takato explained. Lee and Ruki looked at each other, then at Takato.   
  
  
"Excuse us, will you, Takato?" Lee asked. Takato got up gladly and left the park, leaving Lee and Ruki alone.  
  
  
"You like me?" Ruki asked. Lee nodded slowly.  
  
  
"How could you like me? I'm so mean to you!" Ruki added.   
  
  
"I know. I just felt something about you that I have never felt before. See, I think you may be afraid to get close to people, so you're mean to them. And I realized that you are capable of liking someone, and that made me like you. You're a very wonderful person, when you let yourself be." Lee replied. Ruki felt herself grow relieved, then happy. Someone liked her, wanted to be with her. The same person who she liked wanted to be with her.   
  
  
"I like you a lot, Lee. I really do." Ruki said quietly. Lee took Ruki's hands in his and drew her close.   
  
  
"I like you too, Ruki." Lee said before leaning down to kiss Ruki's lips lightly.   
  
**There you go, one Ruki/Lee just for you! Hope you like it, and don't forget to review it!! Ciao!!** 


End file.
